“The precious witness” of the missionaries of Madrid “is a source of inspiration and stimulus” so that the whole diocesan community may become “increasingly missionary each day, opening itself to the outside world with the renewed strength of love that embraces all humanity”, writes the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, in a pastoral letter to mark Diocesan Missionary Day, “Madrid with its missionaries”, on 3 June. The cardinal paid tribute to the memory of auxiliary bishop Eugenio Romero Pose, who died at the age of 58; one of his main fields of pastoral work was just that of the missions. Cardinal Rouco Varela also recalls the “missionary spirit” in which the city’s “Youth Mission” was in a very special way experienced last year. It is, explained the archbishop of Madrid, a “wonderful, though undoubtedly arduous, and courageous initiative” which made it possible for “the hearts of thousands of young people, adolescents and even children to be opened to the great mission of the Church: that of bringing the salvation of Jesus Christ”. At the present time there are 1,524 missionaries from Madrid active in the world: 900 of them are women religious, 22 cloistered sisters, 389 men religious, 97 diocesan clergy and 116 secular priests. In particular, in Africa there are 315 missionaries in 32 countries; in the American continent 1085 missionaries, distributed between 23 countries. Lastly, in Europe there are 36 missionaries in 12 countries: 6 in Italy; 3 in Portugal; 3 in Germany; 6 in France; 1 in Poland; 2 in Albania; 2 in Romania; 2 in Kazakhstan; 1 in Slovenia; 5 in Austria; 3 in Bosnia-Herzegovina and 2 in Sweden.
